Wire-stretcher.



A. B. DOWELL.

WIRE STBETUHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1012.

1,054,283, Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

Wu zoom ALBERT B. DOWELL, OF GARRETTSVILLE, OHIO.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

Application filed May 4, 1912. Serial No. 695,207.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. DOWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Garrettsville, in the county of Portage and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVire- Stretchers,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in wire stretchers and has forits primary object to provide a simple, durable and efficient device ofthis character which may be easily and quickly arranged upon ananchoring post to stretch the wire and hold the same in a taut conditionwhile it is being stapled to the post.

A further and more specific object of the invention resides in theprovision of a frame structure constructed of piping and includingcurved bearing members for engagement with the post, a drum mounted inthe frame having one end of a cable connected thereto adapted to beattached at its other end to a clamp secured upon the wire fabric, meansfor operating the drum, and chains connected to the drum shaft and tothe brace bar of the anchoring post to force the frame toward the postas the chain is Wound upon the drum.

WVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thenovel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claim andshown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wire stretcher embodying the presentinvention showing the same mounted upon an anchoring post; Fig. 2 is atop plan view; and Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3--3 of Fi 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing 5 designates a frame structure whichcomprises the lon itudinally disposed pipe sections 6 threaded at one oftheir ends in the elbow members 7 which are in turn connected to acoupling member or union 8. The pipe sections 6 extend in divergentrelation from the members 7 and are connected at their other ends to thecross-shaped coupling members 9. To these latter members the pipesections 10 are connected. Upon the ends of the pipe sect-ions 10 thecurved post engaging arms 12 are mounted by means of the T- shapedcoupling members 11.

The vertical parallel pipes 13 are connected at their upper and lowerends to the elbows 14 which are threaded in the crossshaped couplings 9.In the cross shaped bearings 13 arranged on the pipes 13 the ends of adrum shaft 15 are rotatably mounted, said shaft being provided betweenthe pipes 13 with the spaced heads 16. Upon one end of this drum shaftwhich projects beyond the frame, a ratchet 17 is keyed or otherwiserigidly secured and upon the frame a gravity pawl 18 is pivotallymounted for engagement with the teeth of said ratchet. A plurality ofpins 19 project from the face of the ratchet and with these pins asuitable operating lever indicated at 20 is adapted to be engagedwhereby the ratchet may be turned to rotate the drum and wind a cable 21thereon. The cable 21 passes around a pulley or sheave 22 which isattached to an eye bolt 23 secured in the coupling member 8. As beforestated one end of said cable is secured to the frame, and the other endthereof is provided with a hook 24- to engage with an eye or loop 25 onthe wire clamp 26.

The stretcher is retained in position upon the post by means of thechains 27 which are connected at one of their ends to the drum shaft 15.One of these chains is adapted to be passed around the post and isprovided upon its end with a link or loop 27 through which the end ofthe chain is adapted to be drawn. In this manner the stretcher isproperly retained in position upon the post and the operator relieved ofthe necessity of supporting the same. A rope 28 has one of its endssecured to a brace post 29 which is connected to the anchoring post byan inclined bar to brace the same against pressure thereon by thestretcher when the wire fabric is drawn taut. After the stretcher hasbeen mounted upon the post as shown in Fig. 1, the same is swunglaterally in the opposite direction upon the anchoring post to that sideof the post whereon the cable 21 extends, and the rope 28 then tightenedby taking up the slack therein and securing the same to the outer end ofthe stretcher frame. This rope effectually prevents the stretcher framefrom being swung laterally upon the post as the wire fabric istightened.

From the foregoing description the operation of my improved stretcherwill be understood as follows: The curved arms 12 of the stretcher frameare engaged upon the side of the anchoring post remote from the fencewire fabric and the hook on the end of the chain or cable 21 is engagedWith the loop of the wire clamp as shown in Fig. 1. The operator nowengages the lever 20 with the pins 19 on opposite sides of the drumshaft and turns the ratchet wheel 17 in the proper direction to rotatethe drum and wind the cable thereon. The wire fabric is thus drawn pastthe post to which it is to be stapled, the rope 28 drawing the stretcherframe toward the anchor post upon which the same is mounted and holdingthe curved arms 12 tightly against the same thereby preventing lateralswinging movement of the frame on the post which would otherwise beoccasioned by the pull or strain of the wire fabric as the same is drawntoward it.

After the wire has been tightened as desired, the same is securelystapled to the anchoring post in the usual manner after which thestretcher is removed.

From the foregoing the construction and manner of operation of myimproved wire stretcher will be clearly understood.

The device may be easily and quickly mounted in its operative positionand removed after the stretching operation is completed. As the frame isentirely constructed of sections of piping, it will be obvious that thesame can be manufactured at very small cost. As but few parts areemployed in the construction of the device it will also be seen that thesame is extremely strong, durable and eflicient in practical use.

WVhile I have shown and described the preferred construction andarrangement of the various elements, it will be understood that theinvention is susceptible of considerable modification without departingfrom the essential features or sacrificing any of the advantagesthereof.

What Iclaim is A wire stretcher comprising longitudinally disposed pipesections, a vertically disposed coupling rigidly connecting the outerends of said pipe sections, cross shaped couplings threaded upon theinner ends of said pipe sections, additional horizontally disposed pipesections carried by said cross shaped couplings, post engaging armscarried upon the outer ends of said last mentioned pipe sections,parallel vertical pipe sections connected to said last mentionedcouplings, sald vertical plpe sections being formed with flanged bearingopenings, a

end to a fence clamp, said cable passing over the sheave, means foroperating the drum, and a palr of anchorlng chains connected .at one oftheir ends to the drum shaft and adapted to be connected at their otherends to a fence post.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

ALBERT B. DOWELL.

Witnesses:

J. S. TILDEN, J. W. GRIFFIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

